Carrier bag challenge

Kippsy

I bought some of tesco's own brand bags, they have a flat bottom so have a good square shape which makes them really useful for all sorts of things.
Otherwise if I am out shopping I try and only get one plastic bag and then put all my other purchases in that bag.

Loadsabob

Ooh - I'm glad there are so many of us avoiding carrier bags. I buy biodegradabe black bags and food bags. They seem to accidentally stock them in a cheap shop near us (I don't think they're realised yet!). The food bags really DO biodegrade...sometimes I have old re-used ones in the drawer and I notice little flakes of clear plastic sticking to other things in there!!! I mainly use lock 'n' lock boxes for food and lunch things.

But some people in shops act like you're really weird if you don't want a bag. They go to put everything in one, and if you say "I've got a bag", or "I don't need a bag", they look at you like you have two heads! (apart from in our health Food shop, where they say "well done", and would only have offered you an old re-used carrier anyway).

My boyfriend said no to a bag in Superdrug the other week, and the Saturday girl shrugged. He said "Just trying to do my bit for the environment", and she said "Ahhh, thats why everyone keeps saying no to them!". Bless, the penny dropped!

I like to think that over the years I have said no to hundreds of plastic bags. At the moment I have my bags for life, but am looking for some good candidate shopping bags.

(And what's with those stupid little bags, with no handles, the size of a hanky when you buy ridiculously small things that fit in peoples handbags?? - the world has gone MAD!!!)

chalky_75

I knitted this bag out of carrier bags
http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u108/chalky75/?action=view&current=PICT0187.jpg

I love it

geordie_joe

I don't have a bin in my kitchen, it's too small for one. Instead I have two hooks on the wall and I hook supermarket carrier bags on the to use as a bin. I also have a waste paper bin in the bathroom and one next to my desk, both lined with carrier bags.

If it wasn't for free carrier bags from the supermarket i would have to buy a pedal bin and have the inconvenience of falling over it every day, and have to buy liners for three bins.

Having said that, I do use a rucksack when shopping and only get carriers bags when I need to top up my supply of bin liners.

I know a lot of people are against carrier bags, but think of all the secondary uses they get put to. Kids, and adults take them to the baths to put their wet togs in, dog walkers take them to but doggy do's in, how many lunches travel to work in carrier bags etc. etc.

Sometimes you just need a cheap "throw away" plastic bag, and that free carrier bag you got from the supermarket fits the bill perfectly. If you didn't have that you'd have to use one of those bin liners you paid for!

D&DD

:T wow thats fab Chalky
I have loads of the bags for life I just never remember to put them back in the car when I've brought them indoors:o

[Deleted User]

I have several bags for life and I use them. I still seem to accumulate the odd plastic bag now and again though.I use them to hold my Junk mail/ paper ect, and when full do a rubbish run to the recycle bins about five minutes away from where I live.Paper into big bin ,and Tescos has a smaller bin where you can put discarded plastic bags .I use the small 'free' veggie bags from MR T's for kitchen waste as well, and when that bag is full it goes into the waste bin over the road.I don't acually have a dustbin or bag to leave out for the bin men I get rid of my rubbish myself.If I have a large bit of stuff to go I take it to the tip on the way to my DDs so I only do that if I'm going to see her so I don't have a wasted journey I like to try and combine things to save on petrol.

JoolzS

geordie_joe wrote: »

Sometimes you just need a cheap "throw away" plastic bag, and that free carrier bag you got from the supermarket fits the bill perfectly. If you didn't have that you'd have to use one of those bin liners you paid for!

Strangely enough I've never considered the plastic bags from the supermarkets as being "free". Anyone who thinks they are free has to be a complete idiot.

Julie

jfennell

Hi
There are some patterns for knitted bags here
www.knittingpatterncentral.com

purpleivy

http://www.morsbags.com/ or make your own out of scrap fabric.

mummy2mygirls

tesco are going to stop giving there 'free' bags away now. i was told they didnt have them on the end where you pack up as they are trying to fizzle them out and in the end (cant remember when he said) stop giving them.....